The cold frame has really been working hard these last few weeks. My overwintering cuttings are all starting to grow well now and need plenty of attention to ensure they are well watered and well ventilated.

I’ve also just taken delivery of a variety of fabulous perennials from Hayloft Plants (www.hayloftplants.co.uk).

At risk of being boring (!!!) I have chosen a variety of plants that are bee favourites, not just for the colony of honeybees that I am watching over (I don’t really like to call them my bees), but also for the wild bees that forage in my garden.
But I have also chosen some really beautiful, garden worthy plants and I can’t wait to get them established in the garden.

They arrived last week beautifully packed, bare root, in neat boxes and I quickly potted them up into a quality multipurpose compost.
They are now safely growing on in one of the cold frame in the garden and are already shooting and rooting well.

I have been developing a bit of ‘thing’ for salvias recently (another addiction perhaps?) so my choice included the glorious Salvia pratensis ‘Dear Anja’ and Salvia sylvestris ‘Tanzerin’ (AGM), these will grow into stunning, almost shrubby bushes with masses of fabulous flowers and are a certain magnet for the bees.

I also fell in love with a collection on offer from Hayloft plants. Kniphofia ‘Bee’s Lemon’ and the deep purple Lobelia x speciosa ‘Hadspen Purple’, WOW, what a combination.

There are so many beautiful plants available mail order from Hayloft Plants and it’s really hard not to order masses, I tried not to get too carried away but I also added Helenium ‘Rubinzwerg’ and Penstemon digitalis ‘Mystica’ to the order, so the garden will be full of some quite spectacular colour and interest and hopefully the bees will have plenty of food too!

I’ll keep you posted.

2 Responses to “Coldframe”

Leave a Reply